Kitchen & Drink Blog

We recently recognized five associates and one restaurant for their outstanding performance in 2014. The awards were presented at our annual Leadership Conference, which was held at The Ivory Room earlier this month.

The 2014 Leadership Conference award recipients include:

Restaurant of the Year: The Pearl is this year’s recipient of the Restaurant of the Year award. Opened by CMR in 2013, the restaurant is led by General Manager Kelli Gordon of Dublin, Ohio and Executive Chef Matt Paisley of Dublin, Ohio. The Pearl is an award-winning hot spot in the Short North and a well-polished culinary jewel showcasing made-from-scratch food, classically-inspired cocktails and an exclusive selection of ales, lagers and stouts.

General Manager of the Year: Heather McCormick of Capitol Hill, Colo. is the 2014 General Manager of the Year award recipient. McCormick is the general manager at Ocean Prime in Denver, Colo., which opened in 2010. With more than 20 years of experience working in restaurants, McCormick has a passion for hospitality and is devoted to providing guests the best dining experience in Larimer Square.

Executive Chef of the Year: Eugenio Reyes is this year’s recipient of CMR’s Executive Chef of the Year award. Reyes, of Columbus, Ohio, works at the newly opened Ocean Prime in Beverly Hills. In 2015, he will transfer to New York City to help Ocean Prime open its 12th location in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

Dining Room Manager of the Year: Louis Morgan III of Rochester Hills, Mich. received this year’s Dining Room Manager of the Year award. Recognized by the Troy Chamber of Commerce and Ambassador magazine as an establishment with great food and ambience, Morgan brings electric sensation to Ocean Prime in Troy, Mich., and helps guests plan special occasions at the restaurant.

Sous Chef of the Year: Chase Flinn is the 2014 Sous Chef of the year at CMR. He is the Sous Chef at Cameron Mitchell Premier Events (CMPE) and is from King Lincoln District, Ohio. He joined CMPE in 2009, and brings a unique flavor to the team. Flinn has a long history in the catering business having started working at a young age for his family’s catering company.

Cameron Mitchell Award: This year’s Cameron Mitchell Award was presented to Don Waller of Buckeye Hospitality Construction. He is the director of construction and has nearly 30 years of experience in multi-state commercial development from real estate contract stage to final construction completion. Buckeye Hospitality Construction was formed by CMR to build and develop new CMR and Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern locations and concepts.